The One Who Exhorted Us to Be Kind
““This is the way of peace: overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.” ”
Joseph and Mary were two young refugees escaping violence who depended on other people’s compassion and generosity to get by. Mary was pregnant and delivered her baby boy in a mud-filled barn surrounded by animals. Nowadays, our Nativity scenes make everything look very clean and comfortable, but pause for a moment and think about it: two scared, lonely, homeless human beings, fleeing cruelty and persecution, having their first baby in a barn! Can you imagine? They named their son Jesus, and this baby, a refugee himself, grew up to become a wise teacher of nonviolent activism for justice.
Let us pause and think about the world we could create if we followed his teachings of selflessness, kindness, and generosity. Many times we excuse ourselves from taking action to stop injustices by saying to ourselves that we can’t act like Jesus because he was divine, and we are not. We witness what is wicked and unfair and do nothing, or very little, because in our minds courageous action is reserved only for superheroes, but not for normal human beings like us.
But perhaps we can take some time today for a deeper reflection on questions such as: “Do I have in me what it takes to welcome fellow human beings who are suffering? Am I open to welcoming immigrants and refugees?” Perhaps today we can sympathize with the idea of opening the borders of our countries and the doors of our dwellings to welcome, really welcome, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Perhaps today we can reflect and conclude that all of us, in one way or another, are refugees. Perhaps today we can experience how much we would appreciate being received by friendly and generous people if we, ourselves, were fleeing difficult and dangerous situations. Perhaps today we can decide to worry less with what is of little importance, such as if there are or there aren’t enough Nativity scenes displayed in public spaces, or if people are wishing “Happy Holidays” and not “Merry Christmas,” and worry more about what is important, such as the living conditions of millions of oppressed and exploited fellow human beings who are suffering in our world. Perhaps today we can ask ourselves, “What can I do to alleviate other people’s suffering?” and take some time to look inside ourselves, tame our fears, and expand our compassion, kindness, and generosity.
May we honor the memory of the one who exhorted us to be kind by mindfully practicing all the good that he exemplified.
Piero Falci teaches Mindfulness Meditation and Mindful Living and the acclaimed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. He leads Insight Meditation Silent Retreats and organizes Silent Peace Walks. Piero is an educator who believes that the inner work that leads to personal awakening and transformation is indispensable to create a wholesome world. He is a promoter of peace who believes in advancing the idea that Heaven is here if we want it to be. He is the author of "Silent Peace Walk: From Inner Peace to World Peace." His latest book is "A Better Life in a Better World: Can Mindfulness Save Us from Ourselves?" For more information, visit his website www.pierofalci.com